Moving Forward With Backs

A shocking 85 percent of Americans will suffer from back or neck pain at some point in their lives. But, did you know that back pain is the second most common reason for seeing a doctor in the United States, after coughs and other respiratory infections? So, if your back aches, you are not alone.

In this Healthy Living, the spotlight is on the Eisenhower Orthopedics Center of Excellence. The cover story,“Hang Time,” recounts the story of Michael Thomas Hayes’ debilitating back injury and astonishing recovery. Hayes shares his struggles, pain and inability to work after a jolting 100-foot motorcycle jump. Referred to Eisenhower’s Orthopedic Surgeon A. David Tahernia, MD, Hayes underwent a cervical disc replacement surgery that was part of a state-of-the-art Food and Drug Administration clinical trial. Dr. Tahernia replaced Hayes’ herniated disc with a new prosthetic disc. The relief was immediate, and soon Hayes was back at work, making watches…and back at play — rock climbing, golfing, and waterskiing.

I am exceedingly proud of our achievements in orthopedics. As you may recall, Eisenhower Medical Center is rated number one in the state of California for joint replacements, and has held that distinction for the past two years. There are, to put it simply, no better clinical outcomes anywhere in the state of California.

In this issue’s “What’s New,” I am pleased to share our most recent orthopedics honor. The Joint Commission, the principal accreditation organization in health care, has awarded Eisenhower Medical Center The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval™ for both Total Hip Replacement and Total Knee Replacement. Furthermore, Eisenhower is one of only 60 hospitals in the United States to have received both certifications.

This issue of Healthy Living also highlights another important clinical accolade. In May, Eisenhower became the first accredited chest pain center in California to be Cycle III-accredited with PCI (percutaneous coronary intervention), the preferred treatment for heart attack patients. While this accreditation is the highest designation attainable by the Society of Chest Pain Centers, what is far more meaningful is the fact that Chest Pain Centers save lives. Research shows that Chest Pain Centers increase the rate of survival of a heart attack by 63 percent!